WoW Player Housing Finally Arrives December 2 After Decades Of Waiting

The two-decade wait for player housing in World of Warcraft is nearly over, as Blizzard has announced housing will launch on December 2 for those who preorder the Midnight expansion.

Housing will be launching into what Blizzard is calling “early access”–and will support weekly housing quests but won’t have its Neighborhood event system fully online. Players will, however, be able to buy a home, decorate it, design rooms, join Neighborhoods, earn decor through achievements, and craft decor items. Those who don’t own Midnight won’t be able to purchase a home but will still be able to acquire housing items and decor, should they later decide to upgrade to the new expansion.

While housing is the big new attraction, and one that players have waited over 20 years for, there are some other new features rounding out the 11.2.7 update. That includes a prologue questline to set up the story of Midnight, a new Lorewalking campaign centered around the origins of the Blood and Void Elves of Azeroth, and a quest chain to unlock Pandaren Heritage armor. The Timewalking event Turbulent Timeways will also make a return, and will for the first time feature dungeons from 2020’s Shadowlands expansion.

Another major addition coming in The War Within’s final patch is a revamped new- and returning-player experience. New players will journey from the Exile’s Reach tutorial zone straight into the Dragonflight expansion. Returning players will be able to travel to a new experience that sees them team up with Thrall and Jaina, after which they’ll be equipped in level-appropriate gear and able to jump into the rest of the game as they see fit. A “recap” version of The War Within will additionally be available to new or returning players who wish to play through an accelerated version of the expansion to get caught up with the game’s story.

The arrival of housing is a major moment for Blizzard’s MMORPG, though some players do have concerns with how Blizzard is looking to monetize the highly anticipated feature. Last week, Blizzard revealed a premium currency called Hearthsteel that will be used to purchase housing items on the game’s shop, sparking swift outcry from concerned players. Blizzard said the introduction of Hearthsteel is intended to be player-friendly and more convenient for making smaller purchases.